CAIRO // The question of the niqab, the conservative Islamic veil that obscures the face, has once again entered public debate following two decisions in the past week to ban or restrict its use at Egyptian educational institutions.

The renewed controversy over the face-covering, for which government religious authorities have long expressed their distaste, came to light this week after the head of Al Azhar, one of the world’s premier institutes of Sunni thought, told a young student in one of the institution’s middle schools to remove her niqab. Sheikh Mohammed Sayyed Tantawi later announced that the niqab would be prohibited at all Al Azhar institutions.

In a seemingly separate incident last weekend, residents at an all-girls residence hall at Cairo University were told that the niqab would not be allowed within their dormitory.

Both moves represent a clear choosing of sides by the Egyptian government in a religious tug-of-war that is as much a question of regional politics as of doctrinal interpretation. Whereas conservatives believe that Egyptian society has yielded for too long to western secularism, many Egyptians, including the government, see the recent rise of religious conservatism as a foreign import from the wealthy nations of the Arabian Gulf.

But while the government has expressed its views on the niqab in the past, the events of the past week amount to one of the strongest official statements in recent memory, said Salem Abdel Gelil, the deputy minister of Awqaf or religious endowments.

“This really is the biggest attack [against the niqab] because it comes from the official religious institution” of Al Azhar, Mr Gelil said. “And this is because the culture of referring to the niqab as an obligation has been widely propagated through Salafi satellite television channels,” he said, referring to the austere branch of Sunni Islam practised in some Gulf countries.

But the government’s resolute expression has not come without controversy. Monaqabat students at Cairo University, led by the outlawed Hizb Al Am Al Islami political party, are reported to be planning a protest in front of student residences today, according to the Egyptian daily newspaper Al Masry Al Youm. The newspaper also reported on threats by some students to file a lawsuit against Hani Halal, the minister of education, and Hossam Kamal, the president of Cairo University, to challenge the decision.

“This is something in my religion. Even [US president] Barack Obama said it was a personal freedom,” said one 22-year-old medical student at Cairo University who wears the niqab.

The student, who refused to give her name because she does not want to offend university administrators, said she used to live in the all-girls dormitory before she was abruptly told last weekend that she would not be given a room for the 2009-2010 school year. She was singled out, she said, because of a religious choice.

“Of course I am offended. I believe that I didn’t do anything wrong, and that I’m being punished for doing what I think is right,” she said.

During a visit to Alexandria University yesterday, Mr Halal, the education minister, said he will stand by the ban on the niqab in university residence halls throughout the country, according to the newspaper Al Sharouq. Mr Halal cited security concerns as the primary factor in the decision, adding that 15 young men were recently caught trying to enter an all-female dorm while wearing the niqab as a disguise.

Yesterday was a holiday in Egypt, and officials from Cairo University and Al Azhar did not answer phone calls. But in interviews with Al Masry Al Youm, the presidents of Ain Shams and Helwan universities said they agreed with the sheikh’s decision. Amn al Naser, the director of philosophy at Al Azhar University, went as far as to say the niqab should be criminalised, according to the newspaper.

But religious authorities outside the government expressed varying reactions. While the vast majority of Muslim Egyptian women wear the hijab, a less conservative headscarf that covers the hair and neck but reveals the face, only a narrow minority wear the niqab. Even in religiously conservative Egypt, some who wear the niqab or promote its use feel under attack.

“The constitution ensures public freedoms. When we deny those women with niqab their freedom, we are violating the constitution,” said Youssef al Badri, a noted conservative cleric. “Moreover, the constitution speaks about morals. So the minister of education and Sheikh [Tantawi] would do better to address women who expose their hair, neck and breasts. They cause fitna [schism or upheaval] and encourage sexual harassment.”

This is not the first time the Egyptian government has fought battles with the niqab and those who defend it. In 2001, a researcher at the American University in Cairo won a discrimination case against the university after she was denied entry to an AUC library.

As the campaign against the niqab escalates, those who wear it may find a new resolve. The government’s efforts may feel like betrayal, said the anonymous student, but one that must be endured.

“There is a big difference between Egypt and some Egyptians,” she said. “Even if everyone betrays me, I will know that God is with me.”

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"If you are not part of the solution.......then you are part of the problem" anon

When the aversion of the Egyptian state and government dwindles to a fine linen, over the face of Muslim women, it is indicative of a deep-rooted apprehension. In this cause, the state has recently employed an array of methods to intimidate women into removing the face veil, including:

1. The Ministry of Religious Endowments disseminating propaganda booklets denouncing the face veil as 'un-Islamic' and merely a 'habit'.

2. The Ministry of Health planning to ban doctors and nurses from wearing the face-veil in hospitals and medical facilities.

3. The Shaykh of Al-Azhar, an employee of the Egyptian Government and a servant to its instructions, publicly and recklessly denouncing a young girl for wearing the face veil and asking her to remove it, instantly, in his presence.

4. The Shaykh of Al-Azhar announcing, via 'Al-Masry Al-Youm' that women who wear the face veil will be denied the opportunity of teaching or learning with Al-Azhar and its schools.

Even those nations with no association to Islam have learnt to accommodate the face veil as a respectful display of individual piety. And that is much unlike the states which claim Islam as the national religion, such as Egypt, that tend to be the most unaccommodating towards the Muslims and their individual rights and religious practice.

And though the Egyptian constitution, or whatever is left of it, supposedly recognises individual liberties and personal freedoms, the state's concerted campaign against the face veil continues, demonstrating an absolute transgression against even the state's alleged constitutional parameters:

Egyptian Constitution, Ratified in 1980, Part Three: Article Fourty One

Individual freedom is a natural right and shall not be touched. Except in cases of a flagrant delicate no person may be arrested, inspected, detained or his freedom restricted or prevented from free movement except by an or necessitated by investigations and preservation of the security of the society.

So in which way is the face veil a case of 'flagrant delicate' which entails negation of any individual freedom, the initiation of a campaign of suppression in the country's public institutions or a restriction of any individual woman's preferences? Is the face veil a display of obscenity, an example of society's moral free-fall or blatant flagrancy which undermines the righteousness of society? The answer is no.

Part Three: Article Fourty Six

The State shall guarantee the freedom of belief and the freedom of practice of religious rites.

In which way is the face veil not a religious rite, considering its significance amongst the followers of certain jurisprudential schools, its claim to orthodoxy and over a millennium of religious instruction? Has the Egyptian state and its religious employees, in a tandem of mastership and concubinage, rendered itself the possessor of a moral compass which fourteen centuries of Islam somehow could not see?

Even further, and in diametric opposition to the incessant war on modesty, the Egyptian state has perfected laxity in regards to toplessness and nudity at the country's resorts. And that is without mentioning the cultured depravity and insolence which decorates media forms by way of provocative artists and their gushing manifestations of vice and sin; so where is the state's concern or the fervour of the nation's religious leaders?

And whilst the naive will deem this a selectivity of values and misapplication of policy, it is in fact a concerted and constant campaign stemming from the apparatuses of the state: promote what sedates the people and relegatestheir attainment of internal and external realities of faith. Hence, all that is associated with a fermenting revival of Islam, in its most comprehensive social and political form, is to be rejected and opposed – no matter how insignificant it may be.

The underlying fear of Egyptian officials is from an arousal in Islamic sentiment and identification with the Shariah's potency. For once people understand monotheism in its truest form, adopt the prophetic tradition in its comprehensive application and aspire to excellence in their personal lives they will also articulate the need for social and political conditions which are in harmony with what they believe and practice.

In such context, no longer would the underpinning roles of the Egyptian State – by way of treachery and post-colonial agency – be maintainable. The fabric of this illegitimate state, unrepresentative of its people and their aspirations, would dissolve and leave external parties such as the United States and Israel, who have an obvious and vested interest in the suppression of the Muslim nation, without the luxury of vassal states and natural allies.

That is the crux of the issue and its true battle space. The problem is not merely with the Egyptian pseudo-state and its retarded application of law, but in the embassies which help define strategic regional policy. The rulers of the Muslim World, be it wittingly or unwittingly, are pawns at the hands of global players who masquerade behind concepts such as the war on terror and the struggle against fundamentalism, all in an attempt to retain their authority and serve the interests of others, with no regard for the sanctity of innocence, justice or even God.

Finally, as Sayyid Qutb, a man executed by the Egyptian Administration some thirty years ago, said:

This state of ignorance is based on rebellion against Allah's sovereignty on earth. It transfers to man one of the greatest attributes of Allah, namely sovereignty, and makes some men lords over others. It takes the form of claiming the right to create values, to legislate rules of collective behaviour, and to choose any way of life which rests with men, without regard to what Allah Almighty has prescribed.

And with these latest oppressions all over the Muslim World, the believers are learning a new lesson: indeed, the wolves have become our shepherds.

This message was sent from Al-Firdaus News, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia.

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"If you are not part of the solution.......then you are part of the problem" anon

I mean thats disgusting, honestly, although, it does help with choices now. Al-Azhar is out of the question to go and study in. I find that mini-fatwa appalling! what a down-hill turn Al-Azhar has taken. From being the top to being the lowest! Im so disgusted and outraged! How dare he even think of banning niqab in a Muslim country at an Islamic institute of knowledge! They're all shafi'e too! which as far as i know says niqab is fard! I mean you could understand if it isn't recommended in the west, but it should surely be recommended in the east! The home and hub of Muslims!

What blatant rubbish.

Egypt annoys me, everything about it annoys me. Im so annoyed!

Like what kinda sheikh looks at his student and says take immediately off your niqab in my presence! WHAT KIND OF SHEIKH SAYS THAT!!! OHMYGOD!

they have some serious issues al azhar, someone has taken on the role of teaching without a pure heart or intention and it has shown up in all its ugliness today, is this not corruption!? So what if salafi channels promote the niqab, if your a muslim country you should have the freedom to wear the niqab! As for those 15 boys they too dont have pure hearts or intentions or fear of Allah if they feel the need to sneak into the girls dormitory!

I've seen photos of shikhs that shake hands with women at graduation ceremonies! like !! What ever happened to hayaa, to respect.

The only thing I can conclude from this is that there is no more Al-Azhar, it died.

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O you who are seeking your Lord, when has your Lord ever looked to your physical body's prostration in comparison to the hearts,Learn the Prostration of the heart! Habib Umar bin Hafeedh.

Indeed the matter of Veil is becoming a very very hot topic these days all over .Few colleges in India are also banning students who cover their faces.Now the question is whether it is a must to cover the face or not. Regarding this issue Dr.Zakir Naik (Peace TV) IRF President has visited Hyderabad Al Hind and in this regard he said not necessary to cover face and hands withing a few days Dr.Israr Ahmed International Islamic Scholar from Pakistan visited Hydedrabad and the same question was answered by him as If you dont cover the face then what is meant by Veil/Pardah.

It's not a question of whether it is compulsory or not - even though there are many scholars who in fact take that view. It is a question of prohibiting something which is halal. To say it is a cultural practice, or something only promulgated by our salafi brothers, is just utter nonsense. Security issues can be dealth with out resorting to this. How ironic that western countries are coming to terms with this and an Arab country is going the other way.

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"The Illuminated soul shines, and cannot confine the light within its own self." Sh. Abdul Hakim Murad

The underlying fear of Egyptian officials is from an arousal in Islamic sentiment and identification with the Shariah's potency. For once people understand monotheism in its truest form, adopt the prophetic tradition in its comprehensive application and aspire to excellence in their personal lives they will also articulate the need for social and political conditions which are in harmony with what they believe and practice.

Strictly to the point.

Egypt annoys me, everything about it annoys me. Im so annoyed!

Sometimes I don't know how some people think over here!!! But to be on the fair side, there are A LOT of people struggling for their survival, here in Egypt. There are a lot of people who are becoming richer while many other are becoming unbearably poorer. And from my opinion and observations, the last thing that those people who are living below the poverty line think about is, if the niqqab got banned or not in Al-azhar unis. People basically don't care any more, people are striving for survival under many pressures. The bottom line, people just want to stay away from trouble while struggling for survival.

How ironic that western countries are coming to terms with this and an Arab country is going the other way.

That's one of the questions that always pops in my mind: why & how are the Western Muslims better Muslims than the Arab ones?! Mashallah, I find that Western Muslims are more connected to Islam than the Arab ones, they know more about Islam, and live for Islam.

Note: I've heard a couple of times that sometimes men wear the niqqab in order to deceive a lot of women

"On the Day of Judgment there will be a flag for every person guilty of treachery. It will be raised in proportion to the extent of his guilt; and there is no guilt of treachery more serious than the one committed by the ruler of men" [Muslim]

By now, almost everyone has heard of the recent incident involving the Shaykh al-Azhar, the esteemed Dr. Sayyid Muhammad Tantawi, with the veiled high-school student. The office of the Shaykh al-Azhar is symbolically the most senior office in the entire Sunni world, outranking even that of the Grand Mufti of Egypt, since it purportedly places in the highest office the most scholarly personality of the oldest and more revered Islamic University in the Sunni world, al-Azhar University. In fact, Dr. Tantawi had previously held the position of the Grand Mufti of Egypt for almost a decade, after which the great leader of Egypt, Hosni Mubarak, impressed with his services to Islam, promoted him to the office of Shaykh al-Azhar. Hosni Mubarak should be thanked for promoting Dr. Tantawi to his office, and this promotion shows not only the credentials of the learned Doctor, but also the care and concern that this three-decade veteran leader of Egypt has for the cause of Islam.

Dr. Sayyid Tantawi hardly needs an introduction, for he has already established a reputable career, and his resume boasts of such fatwas as the one which encourages Muslim women in France to abandon the headscarf so that they may be in conformity with French law. It appears, however, that the venerable Shaykh understands that his role cannot stop at merely removing the headscarf from our sisters. In his concern for the welfare of the Ummah, he has now taken an even bolder step.

In case some are still unfamiliar with the details of the event which occurred two days ago, here are the details which have been reported by a number of reliable eye-witnesses and the media. When the Grand Shaykh was invited to address a group of young female high-school students, he noticed one of them wearing a face-veil (niqab). This seemed to irritate his Excellency rather mightily, and, his conscience so roused, he proceeded to ask the supercilious girl to remove her veil (of course, he is not the first person to do so, having been preceded by the likes of Jack Straw and Tony Blair, amongst other honorable mentions). The girl refused, and said rather innocently that it was her habit to wear it, and she did not show her face to strangers. The Shaykh’s sense of right became even more miffed, so he proceeded to pontificate rather starkly, “The niqab is nothing but culture – it has absolutely no relationship whatsoever with the religion of Islam.” Thus buttressed, he then boldly asked her once again to take off the intimidating cloth. Rather surprisingly, the young girl rejected the demands of the senior-most religious authority in Egypt, stood her ground, and once again reiterated that she was uncomfortable with any man seeing her. The esteemed scholar could not take such an insult to his honorable demand so lightly, nor could he allow a sixteen-year old girl to get the better of him! The temerity of such a girl deserved that the Grand Shaykh put her in her place. Gathering all the might and courage that he needed – for 16 year old girls are known for their tempers and bad moods – he charged on, blasting, “I have already told you that the niqab has absolutely nothing to do with the religion, and it is something that is from custom!” To drive the point home, he added, in a crude Egyptian vernacular, “…and I know the religion better than you, and those who gave birth to you (i.e., your parents).” Of course, such langues was completely justified, as how else was the coarse and ill-mannered young lady going to be taught the refined manners of Islam? Petrified and terrified, intimidated and bullied by a man four times her age, embarrassed in front of her peers and teachers and media by the highest-ranking religious authority in the land, the young lady felt she had no choice but to take off the blameworthy fabric. The Shaykh of al-Azhar, satisfied and vindicated, threw in his final blow, to really put the girl in her place, and teach her a well-deserved lesson that she would never forget. Outdoing his crude expression of a few moments ago by a number of exponential notches, he said, “Ama law kunti hilwa shuwaya la-amilti eh?”

Alas! English simply cannot do justice to the coarseness and incivility of the Shaykh’s street-manner talk (which, of course, the impudent young girl fully deserved). While the vulgarity and tone of the language might fool some people, in fact what the Shaykh really did was to skillfully and subtly demonstrate that, despite his high office and erudite mastery of the religion, he was completely in tune with the riff-raffs and hooligans of the alleyways of Cairo. A rough translation – albeit without the vulgar connotations of the Arabic (and my apologies to our English readers for the loss of the coarseness) – would be, “So if you were even a little beautiful, what would you have done then?” The implication, of course, was that the egotistical girl was presuming herself to be worthy of participating in a beauty pageant, hence covering her face out of fear of tempting others. Little did she realize that she was not even qualified to use the adjective ‘beautiful’ in the same sentence as her name! The wise and nurturing religious father-figure of the nation made sure that the self-esteem of this young sixteen year old girl would forever be shattered – so let all teachers pay heed to the lessons that the Shaykh imparts through his astounding pedagogical skills.

It is comforting to know that the ex-Grand Mufti is more knowledgeable than we are (of course, in his humbleness and humility, he only restricted his greater knowledge to ‘the girl and those who gave birth to her’, but we all understand that it was only his modesty that precluded more epithets, and allowed the self-praise to be so restrained). Thank God for that, for indeed us simpletons are in need of his seemingly unrestrained knowledge (not to mention his perfect mannerisms and gentle nature).

For indeed, a cursory reading of the hadith literature to people of lesser knowledge such as ourselves shows that the face veil (niqab) was quite common amongst the wives and female Companions of the Prophet salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam.

The niqab appears to have been so common, in fact, that before the only Hajj the Prophet salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam ever performed, as he was instructing people regarding the rites of this Sacred Journey, he had to give a general command to all women that they should not wear the niqab during the state of ihram (al-Bukhari in his Saheeh). To an untrained mind, this would indicate that the custom of wearing a niqab had at least some prevalence, or else there would have been no need to caution against it (after all, it’s not as if there is a specific hadith prohibiting women from wearing mink fur coats during ihram). One wonders whether perhaps these noble ladies from amongst the Companions had managed to import this un-Islamic practice from Persia (for the learned Shaykh did not tell us which culture it was imported from?) even before Persian customs reached Arabia – an amazing feat indeed!

To further confound us simpletons, we read in the Sunan of Abu Dawud and other sources, that Aishah ® would lower her loose scarf over her face even during the state of ihram (thus effectively veiling it) when male riders passed them by. Apparently, Aisha understood that the prohibition for wearing niqab only applied to using that cloth, and not to the actual covering of the face (similar to the fact that men cannot wear trousers during ihram but must still cover that portion of the body with other materials). Lest some misguided individual, infatuated with the Roman (?) custom of veiling, inform us that this veiling was specific for the wives of the Prophet, perhaps our very knowledgeable Mufti can better educate us as to how to understand the narration in the Muwatta of Imam Malik, which states that Fatima b. al-Mundhir used to cover her face in the state of ihram in a similar manner that Aisha did?

And while we are on the subject, perhaps the erudite scholar can also explain how Umm Khallad, another female Companion, was seen wearing a face veil by the Prophet and other Companions? In one tradition (recorded in Sunan Abu Dawud), we learn that after a certain battle, she was seen hurrying to and fro, searching for her son to see if he were still alive. The companions were amazed that even in such a frantic state of mind, she had covered herself with a veil. One of them commented at her veiled state, at which she replied, “Even if I have lost my son, I shall not suffer the loss of my modesty!” A pity that our ex-Grand Mufti and Shaykh al-Azhar were not present there, for if he were, he would have told her that he was more knowledgeable of the rules of modesty that she was!

It is indeed confounding to simpletons who lack the grace and mastery of books that the Shaykh does to find narration upon narration that seems to assume that wearing a face veil was common practice amongst the earliest of generations. In one, we find that Aishah ® was recognized by Safwan b. Mu`attal in the ‘Incident of the Slander’ only because he had seen her before the revelation of the verses of hijab (thus clearly showing that Aishah, at the very least, understood from these verses that she must cover her face). In another narration, we find that `Umar b. al-Khattab recognized Safiyya after the revelation of the verses of hijab by her gait, thus again indicating that he could not see her face (both narrations in the Sahih of al-Bukhari).

What perturbs the lesser-educated minds of the Ummah is that this pernicious custom of obscuring the face seems to have crept into this nation rather early. Regarding the interpretation of Surah Ahzab, verse 33, which commands women to ‘…not display your beauty like the women of Jahiliyya did,’ al-Tabari’s Tafsir tells us that even the Companions differed amongst themselves regarding whether the face was a part of that beauty which should be covered or not. It appears that the Shaykh al-Azhar was able to detect something which even the Companions missed: that the face covering had nothing to do with Islam! The pervasive insidiousness of this imported fabric was not limited to the Companions, however. We find each and every classical work of legal jurisprudence – from al-Nawawi’s Majmu to Ibn Qudamah’s Mughni to Ibn Abideen’s Radd al-Muhtar to Ibn Abd al-Barr’s al-Tamhid – have sections dedicated to this issue. Peculiarly, we find all four classical Sunni schools of law discussing the legal status of the niqab, in numerous major work of fiqh, written throughout the centuries of Islam. In fact, we even find schools of law outside of the four, such as Ibn Hazm’s al-Muhalla, that discuss this issue. It is indeed great Providence that we have been blessed with the pedantic wisdom of the Shaykh of the Azhar for being able to cut through and expose such a large conspiracy, which spanned the entire geographic regions of the Ummah, and reached back to the earliest of our times. Without his insight, it would be quite easy for someone to believe that the niqab has been a part of the Islamic tradition from its very inception.

One cannot help but sympathize with someone as supposedly learned as Dr. Yusuf al-Qaradawi, who is not exactly known for conservative views, yet still says,

“Those who believe that niqab is an innovation or forbidden are ignorant, and by this they lie about the Law of God. The least that can be said about the issue of niqab is that it is merely permissible.”

That is why we need government appointed Shaykhs of al-Azhar, to correct such misunderstandings in the wisest and most fatherly of fashions, and to make sure that rash, impetuous young girls are taught the mercy of our religion and the beauty of our mannerisms.

All I can say is: with scholars like these….who needs the French?!

Please note:

1- The purpose of this article is not to discuss the legal ruling of the niqab, but rather to prove that it existed in our tradition and is a part of Islamic culture; whether it is mubah, or mustahab, or wajib is beyond the scope of our discussion.

2- On a personal note, while I do not unconditionally encourage sisters living in America to wear the niqab, I most certainly do not discourage them from doing so, and believe it is their legal and Islamic right to do if they choose to do so.

3- Sarcasm is allowed in our religion when the situation calls for it – and this one most certainly did .

"On the Day of Judgment there will be a flag for every person guilty of treachery. It will be raised in proportion to the extent of his guilt; and there is no guilt of treachery more serious than the one committed by the ruler of men" [Muslim]

"On the Day of Judgment there will be a flag for every person guilty of treachery. It will be raised in proportion to the extent of his guilt; and there is no guilt of treachery more serious than the one committed by the ruler of men" [Muslim]

Cairo from Ola Moustafa Amer:In an attempt to put an end to the continuous escalation in the crisis objection Sheikh Al-Azhar Al-Azhar student to wear the veil inside her, the flower Osdralamcil up after an emergency meeting called by the Grand Imam Dr. Mohamed Sayed Tantawi yesterday several resolutions to regulate the wearing of the veil within the institution and Azhar.

Came in the forefront of preventing students and teachers from wearing the veil in the classroom of girls and taught by female teachers only, and to all levels of elementary, preparatory and secondary schools, and apply the same resolution, the university cities of female students.

It was also decided to prevent students at Al Azhar University to wear the veil in the examination rooms for girls, with the observation confined to women. In a statement to Al-Azhar Supreme Council is not against women wearing the veil in her personal life, or in the street In daily dealings, and work .. but it is against the use of this right is misplaced.

So now everyone is using that sheik's claim for banning the burqa as an excuse for them to ban it in their countries. I don't think that by banning it they're going to remove the iman from those girls' and women's hearts; it's actually going to make it stronger!!!!!

"On the Day of Judgment there will be a flag for every person guilty of treachery. It will be raised in proportion to the extent of his guilt; and there is no guilt of treachery more serious than the one committed by the ruler of men" [Muslim]

This is from wiki about the Canadian organisation calling for the ban:

(not that you can believe everything you read on it):

It was formed in December 2001, in the wake of 9/11 by a group of Toronto area liberal and secular Muslims led by Tarek Fatah. It is the only Muslim organization in Canada to ask for a "separation of religion and state in all matters of public policy."

The group has gained prominence by opposing the implementation of Shariah Law in civil law in Ontario and supporting the country's same-sex marriage legislation. The group also promotes gender equality and was involved in organizing a Muslim prayer session in which the prayers were led by a woman, Raheel Raza. It has also been critical of Islamic fundamentalism and has urged the government to ban donations to Canadian religious institutions from abroad arguing that doing so will curb extremism.[1]

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And this little light of mine, a gift you passed on to me;I'm gonna let it shine to guide you safely on your way,Your way home ...

Well it seems like the mushayk around him only wanted to budge on the smallest of matters. I think Tantawi has no credibility, only power, and even that can't get you everything you need when you call purple orange and ask for it to be legislated.

And how rude to the student.

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And this little light of mine, a gift you passed on to me;I'm gonna let it shine to guide you safely on your way,Your way home ...

Colonialists, plus the Muslims because of whom they did what they did, and now, the Muslims who aren't doing anything about it.

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"On the Day of Judgment there will be a flag for every person guilty of treachery. It will be raised in proportion to the extent of his guilt; and there is no guilt of treachery more serious than the one committed by the ruler of men" [Muslim]

1- The purpose of this article is not to discuss the legal ruling of the niqab, but rather to prove that it existed in our tradition and is a part of Islamic culture; whether it is mubah, or mustahab, or wajib is beyond the scope of our discussion.

2- On a personal note, while I do not unconditionally encourage sisters living in America to wear the niqab, I most certainly do not discourage them from doing so, and believe it is their legal and Islamic right to do if they choose to do so.

3- Sarcasm is allowed in our religion when the situation calls for it – and this one most certainly did .

How ironic that western countries are coming to terms with this and an Arab country is going the other way.

Subhan'Allah, I was just thinking the same as you Br. Ghaith. What is up with these bans?! Spreading across like fire in the non-Western countries..the least of which you would expect the bans to be coming from...

Bans like this often have the opposite effect, raising awareness of the issue and forcing the people to take back control of their own decisions.

I believe a similar thing happened in Malaysia in the early eighties, a politician came out publicly basically discouraging women from wearing hijab, it had the opposite effect in that more women started wearing it.